Over the last two decades, the game of golf has increased in popularity throughout the United States and many foreign countries. There are now more than 25 million golfers in the United States alone and leisure-time golfers represent the vast majority of them. Most golfers play the game with insufficient frequency to realize improvement in their golf scores. Golf is a very competitive sport and most golfers, professionals and teachers of the sport are always trying to find ways to lower their scores, and in the case of instructors, trying to find better methods for instructing students. There are many golf facilities, outdoor and indoor driving ranges, training schools, etc. which provide professional instruction, practice space and training equipment so that the golfer is provided a means of improving his skill without going out on the golf course.
Many types of facilities exist which provide some type of instruction and swing training equipment. Outdoor driving ranges provide space so that a golfer can hit balls and view the flight of the ball and it's ultimate position after hitting. In addition, they provide instruction services, and in some cases provide swing analysis equipment which typically check club speed, ball speed and club path angle. Others sometimes provide video taping of a golfer's swing for post session visual feedback. Indoor driving ranges provide basically the same types of services except balls are hit into nets or cages. In this case the actual distances and direction of the ball can not be determined through observation. Golf training facilities come in various sizes having combinations of outdoor or indoor training services. In addition, there are facilities in which indoor simulators provide golfers a means of playing a simulated game of golf, thereby eliminating the need for large outdoor space.
Golf swing analysis apparatus presently available provides data on club speed, ball speed and club path which is typically presented in graphical or text format. Many facilities offer video camcorders which can be used to record a golfers ewing. These camcorders are operated with standard video recorders which require mechanical rewinding of the tape before replay. This limits the response time for the user, thereby decreasing the efficiency of training. Instructors using commercially available equipment can waste valuable time manipulating the video equipment. To adequately provide the golf student with proper instruction and feedback, the instructor must utilize combinations of swing analyzers and video cameras, recorders and monitors to effectively teach students how to accomplish the golf swing. An instructor must be knowledgeable in the use of the constantly changing "Hi Tech" equipment to provide quality video feedback teaching time.
There exists a need to integrate cameras, recorders, processors and monitors to provide an apparatus that instructors, students and professional golfers can operate easily to provide swing analysis images and data instantaneously that are easy to understand.